The Lower Shelf Switching Railroad (LSSR), an experiment in 2 rail O scale and hand laid track.

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Frequent poster 533 posts Eugene Griffin EGRX Frequent poster 533 posts

Eugene Griffin EGRX

Lowerton, on my HO scale switching layout, started as a staging yard 12.5 inches below Upperton. Additional lower shelf space was added providing what was called Lowerton docks. The problem, a one person switching layout where more than half the time was spent reaching under the shelf was a pain in the backside.

I decided to replace the loop back to Lowerton, that partially occupied a closet at the end of a room, with a yard. This would serve as a connection to the outside world for my HO layout. And over one year ago, Lowerton and Lowerton docks track was disassembled. But what to do with the lower shelf. Some inspirational 2 rail O scale videos and articles, combined with the former location of Lowerton Docks and a desire to try hand laying track began the experiment.

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Eugene Griffin EGRX Frequent poster 533 posts

Eugene Griffin EGRX

So what do I need.

The obvious is at least one freight car (an experiment) , some rail, ties, and track spikes.

Ties were easy, 1/8" X 3/16" basswood cut at 2 1/4" long for a board that would equal 6" X 9" X 9' in 1:1 would be a good a tie. Easy enough to buy in experimental quantities at the local hobby shop and certainly not a budget buster. Rail, turns out to be easy too, I read somewhere that code 100 rail, in 1:48 scale, was close enough to 75 pound rail that was used in low traffic areas. Great, I just tore up a staging yard full of code 100 flex track, that will not be used on my HO layout.

The gauge would be a piece of code 100 rail cut to 1.25" in length. To ensure that the head of each rail was 1.25" apart I filed the lower part of the gauge at an angle to prevent my home made gauge from hitting the foot of the rail. A needle nose plier, some white glue and the old Lowerton docks right of way and the initial rail was started. (Buy a track spiking tool and wear protective eyewear, the rail spikes tend to fly, especially when the needle nose pliers aren't grooved for rail spikes.)

WOW, O scale is big and so is a RSD-15 That I order with my first set of cars. The ATLAS engine was DC only, so solder wires to the rail, connect wires to a power pack, place RSD-15 on rail. Run engine back and forth over six feet of hand laid track. It worked!

Not an experiment anymore, I have worked on and off over the year, I hand laid several #6 turnouts and a #8, then invested in a jig for #6 turnouts. I purchased a SW1200 and some more cars. (RSD-15 is to big for my little switching layout). It has been great. The lower shelf 2 rail O scale track laying is almost done with a small yard at the end of the line. Foundations and ramps have been poured and a wooden warehouse is being built.

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